Report: Nintendo to distribute demos on mobile devices

"The reasoning here is to give smartphone--only players a taste of the experience without making the actual game available on non-Nintendo devices and convert these users into Nintendo customers."

The Nikkei reports that Nintendo plans on marketing its console games through smartphone and mobile apps. Through the initiative, information about new game releases can be distributed via video and through "mini games." In many ways, it sounds like Nintendo wants to make its Nintendo Zone app available on non-Nintendo devices.

This strategy is unsurprising, especially as Nintendo's Satoru Iwata has already gone on record saying they will pursue the mobile market in some way. However, given the company's ill fortunes, that push may happen sooner rather than later. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Nikkei report translated by Serkan Toto is that the demos may give a small experience of games that can only be purchased on Nintendo hardware. "The reasoning here is to give smartphone--only players a taste of the experience without making the actual game available on non-Nintendo devices and convert these users into Nintendo customers."

More details on Nintendo's future should emerge later this week, after the company holds a briefing on Thursday.